4 words
by I vote for crowley
Summary: katniss and gale goes to the hunger games, kinda fluffy, gale/katniss, although there might be some katniss/peeta, you know you wanna check it out! R&R!  rated t for the hunger games and ךanguage and paranoia...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: hey there, hope you enjoy the story, i worked on it really hard so please review, virtual cookie to my first reviewer (not including my B.F.F.) (dont worry you can have real cookies!)**

_'I volunteer' were the four words that changed my life._

_Yes, I'm not stupid I'm completely aware that I volunteer are two words, but if you say that twice…_

_You'll understand later._

_I'm Gale Hawthorne, and this is my story._

I woke up, my eye lids so heavy, at first I turned in my bed and tried to sleep again, but then I remembered.

It's reaping day.

It's not just any reaping day, its Prim's and Posy's first reaping. (A/N: yes, Prim and Posy are at the same age here, I know it's not like that in the book, but here, it is, live with that.)

When I realized that, I knew I will not fall back to sleep today.

I got up, looking at Posy in the bed beside me, she was asleep, her sweet little face relaxed, there is a possibility that today, she will go to the capitol…

No. that will never happen, she has only one entry, the odds are in her favor, I should not worry about her, everything is fine, when I was twelve I had 10 entries and nothing happened to me.

Sadly, I'm not nearly as convincing as I usually am so when I walk out of the house I can't erase from my mind the little note flying in all the other notes that says 'Posy Hawthorne'.

I shudder quietly and walk to the woods, Katniss is probably already there, sitting on our rock, waiting, as I go to the fence I listen closely, the fence is supposed to electric all the time, but it's never ןדc all the time, but it never over os...tniss is probably already there.

says 'posy hawthorne'.

knowss so.

As I expected there is no buzzing, which means the capitol still couldn't care less about us- the district 12 rats, but I don't care, their lack of gaurd keeps my family from starving.

I crawl under the fence and go to the tree where we hide our bows, katniss's bow is still there, surprisingly, I was expecting she would be here already.

I go hunting, I caught 2 squirrels in my snares so I go to the baker to trade.

"Hello Gale" the baker smiles at me, I don't return the smile, I cant- not on reaping's day, I have too much to worry about- Posy, Prim, myself and… Katniss.

As much as I hate to admit it, I worry about Katniss a lot, I don't understand why, her 22 entries is nothing compared to my 54 entries, but still, I find myself worrying about her more than I do about myself…

I guess it's normal to worry about your best friend.

"Hey" I answer the baker, he is not offended by my hostile tone and the lack of smile, he understands the worry, he must worry about his sons too.

I show him the squirrels, I know it's not much, but I still hope for something.

He takes only one of the squirrels and gives me one of his best breads in return, I stare at the bread he placed in my hand, it smells so good… it's worth at least 4 squirrels in a normal day.

"I…" I started saying when I saw the baker's son enter, he waved off my thanks and turned to his son.

"Good morning Peeta" he says.

"I can give you ten reasons why this is not a good morning- I bet you cant give me one why this is" his son answer, I think it was kind of rude- to talk to your father like this, but the baker laughs and the son smiles so I guess its just a habbit of theirs.

"well, I just got us a nice looking squirrel to eat after the reaping" said the baker and his son snorted under his breath, I was still shocked by the kindness of the baker.

"Thank you" I mumble, the bread warm in my hands and the baker laughs at my astonished face, I leave slowly and after I'm out I start running towards the forest.

I have to get there first.

I ran all the way to our rock. she is not here yet.

While I try to catch my breath I have the most brilliant idea ever, I take an arrow from my sheath and stick it in the bread, smiling I hide the bread in my game bag and in the moment I put it away I hear branches crack.

"Catnip" I say and I hear the joyful sound of her laughing. I call her catnip since the first time we met, she whispered her name so weakly, I couldn't hear her right, and when a cat started following her few days after that, the nickname was settled.

Katniss and I are best friends since then, people keep thinking that since we spend a lot of time together, there is something more. I don't care if they think that but they are wrong- Katniss and I are just friends, we were never anything more, she is my best friend and I am hers and that concludes it.

"Gale" she says with a smile on her face, but then I see the light in her eyes fizzle for a moment, just as her smile did, she pulled them back, but, it was fake, I moved a little and pointed on the rock next to me, she want even trying to smile anymore.

"What's wrong?" I ask, closing her between my arms in a hug, it feels right, like my arms were made for her to be in, she wraps her arms around my neck and I feel like this is meant to be.

"It's their first reaping" she finally sighs into my shirts collar.

"catnip, you listen to me" I sadly pull away and look her in the eyes "each of them has only one entry, worry about yourself, they will never get picked, the odds are at their favor" I said, convincing myself as well as her, her eyes lit with a sad smile.

"I guess you are right" she rolled her eyes and punched me in the arm playfully, her braid bouncing on her back.

I looked around us at the forest, it was green and beautiful, the trees moving slightly in the wind, the birds singing delightfully, everything was so alive, unlike district 12.

"Hey, guess what is shot" I smiled and reached into my game bag, when I pulled out the bread she laughed, just like I expected, so I joined her.

"What did you pay for it?" she asked, looking at the bread with big, hungry eyes.

"Just a squirrel, the old man was feeling generous today, I guess" I smiled as I broke the bread into two almost equal half.

"Aren't we all" she said bitterly, and the smile was gone from my face.

"Catnip..." I sighed and she smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry" she said and then her eyes lit with a smile, as she pulled something from her bag, my eyebrows narrowed in confusion.

"We have a present from Prim" she explained and handed it to me, I opened the leaves wrap and immediately smiled. Cheese.

"thank you Prim, now we will be eating like kings and queens" I said in a royal voice, I tried to do an imitation of what in the old world they would call 'British accent', but failed miserably, Katniss and I laughed real hard at this and then we started eating, doing imitation of the capitol accent (this one I was much better at) and laughing, after that we went hunting and before we knew it, it was time to go.

"Bye Gale" she said and I waved.

"Catnip" I smiled at her and then added "wear something nice" I don't know why, she looked surprised and then nodded, I slapped myself mentally.

I came home and gave my mom the food, she smiled at me and pointed at my outfit, I took off my shirt and took it in my hand with the rest of my outfit while trying to put on the tidy white shirt and go to my room to finish getting dressed.

I hit a wall.

I don't know how, I just walked, the shirt was just covering my eyes so I didn't see anything and I swear that wall just appeared there out of nowhere

That was not smart, but at least it made Posy laugh, she just started laughing and when I frowned at her direction she just laughed harder, I acted like I'm angry, but I could see on her eyes that she was crying before, so I really didn't mind.

Faking being annoyed, I walked into the room I share with Rory and Posy and put on the black pants too, while I dressed I heard Posy's laugh beginning to stop but in the moment I stepped out of the room she started laughing again.

"Be careful there is a wall next to you!" she said and laughed again, I saw Rory had entered the room when I got dressed and he rolled his eyes.

"Of course there is silly, it's a house!" he said, Rory was thirteen and he totally had a crush on Prim, katniss's sister, I guess I can understand him, Prim is kind of cute…

Whoa, that sounded like **I** have a crush on Prim, defiantly no, she is twelve and I'm seventeen, that's sick!

"No, he walked into the wall before" she explained Rory.

"Oh" Rory was thirteen, he was older than her in a year but he always tried to prove he is more mature so when things like that happened, he was very embarrassed.

"Yes Posy, I'm noticing the wall, very clever" I said, using my sarcastic tone, which made her laugh again.

"Let's go, its reaping time" my mother said, I know she is very worried, I have 54 entries, Rory has two, Posy has one, only Vick's name isn't there, but it will be in two years (he is ten) and I know she couldn't stop thinking about our names there- I was thinking on a different note.

Different 22 notes to be exact.

We walked to the square, divided by age groups, and all I could think about was katniss's 22 entries, when Effie said 'ladies first' I closed my eyes.

'Please not her, please not her, please not her' I wished in my heart.

And it wasn't her.

It was the one person that was worse.

"Posy Hawthorne" I heard Effie's voice say and my eyes shot open as I saw my little sister go up there, there was a moment of pure shock and terror where the world moved slower and I couldn't think, but then everything became normal again.

"No" I yelled and shoved everyone out of my way, I could see that Peeta boy looking at me with mercy as I ran to the stage and stopped Posy from going up.

"Let me go, Gale" she said, tears choking her throat.

"Never" I whispered at her and then I heard a voice I knew too well saying two words, in a strong and proud voice.

"I volunteer" Katniss said in a determined face and I looked with horror at her as she went up, I realized something.

I loved her.

More than just a best friend, way more, and if she doesn't return to me, I don't know what I'll do, because I love her, and a world without her is not a world worth living in. the realization shocked me, but I couldn't think about it too much because suddenly Prim came and yelled something, trying to grab her sister, but I grabbed her first.

"Thank you" I whispered while holding the two screaming and crying two year olds, I know she heard me, I shoved the two girls back to their place, while Katniss nodded as a response for my whisper, the whole crowd was a mess and I returned to my spot.

Effie waited a long time until a peace keeper shot the sky- only then everyone was quiet

"What's your name?" Effie asked her and she bravely answered, the tears held back with such a huge force, that no one saw them, no one but me.

"And to our boy tribute, Rory Hawthorne! Two hawthorns a day…" Effie started to talk capitol nonsense but I couldn't hear it anymore, the crowd was shocked, I couldn't react as I saw Katniss turning pale white and Rory going upstage, his eyes looking for me, he finally caught me and I could understand what he wanted, he told me with his eyes 'don't do it, don't volunteer for me' which made me remember, I can volunteer for him, I ran straight forward and shouted "I volunteer" Effie looked at me with a fake smile.

"you must be these two's brother" she said and I nodded as I shoved Rory down the stairs and went up there, this time, out mother took the shouting Rory to the side, to calm him down, her eyes filled with tears.

"What's your name?" she asked and I looked at her and gathered all my powers.

"Gale, Gale Hawthorne" I said in a stone face and a hard voice.

"Gale" Katniss whispered but I just stood there, she understood the massage, we both stood proud on the stage, but my heart was crumbling to little pieces, I knew at least one of us won't come back.

**REVIEWS MAKES ME UPDATE! DONT FORGET TO REVIEW... I THINK MY CAPS LOCK MUGHT BE STUCK!**

**no, fixed it!**

**[edited!]**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: hey there! I'm just wanna thank all my reviewers!**

**You are wonderful and amazing and defiantly the only reason I wrote this so quickly… virtual chocolate cookies and hugs for all of you!**

**I wanna thank my B.F.F first since she read this even though she is a Peeta/Katniss (eew! I know, right?)**

**and now I'm starting a tradition, my first reviewer gets a chapter dedicate to him,****so this chapter is for cloud-lover26**** your review made ****me so happy!**

_It all started with 4 words_

_ 'I volunteer'_

_I know its two words, but, if you say it twice…_

_My name is Katniss, I'm the girl on fire, I'm the mockingjay, I'm a rebel…_

_This is my story._

_'"Primrose Everdeen" said Effie trinket, I tried to move and yell and cry, but I was frozen, the brown wood stage getting so far from me, like I'm being pulled back, suddenly I see a TV screen, and Prim is there, someone is behind her, I try to worn her but she can't hear me, I watch him throw the spear, it's all so slow, the wind is not blowing, and the spear sticks in my little sister's flesh, he kills her, but when I look down, I see, I'm the one who killed her._

_"Katniss Everdeen is the 74th hunger games winner!" says a voice and I look at the dead Prim and see that I killed her._

_"You killed me Katniss, it's your fault" she whispers at me, and then I walk home, I see Gale, and my mom, and Hazelle, and even little Posy and Rory, they all walk away from me._

_"You killed Prim" Gale accuses me._

_"But I didn't mean too" I cry._

_"It doesn't matter, you did" my mother said._

_"I'm sorry"_

_"I hate you Katniss! You are mean!" Posy yells at me._

_"We all hate you" Gale simply says and I see the entire district is there, yelling at me, throwing stones my direction, even my father is there…'_

"No!" I whisper as I sit up and breathe heavily, I look at my mother's bed, Prim is there, she is not dead, it was just a dream, she was not reaped.

But she might be.

Both her and Posy are twelve now, they both have only one entree, no tesserae, Gale and I couldn't allow that to happen…

Gale!

I was supposed to meet him at the woods, he is probably already waiting!

I quickly get dressed, and just when I'm about to leave our old little house I see something on the dining table, it has a note on it, so I open that first.

'Katniss

Here is some cheese for you and Gale

I love you!

Prim'

That's what Prims little-twelve-year-old's hand writing says, I smile at that and look at her.

"Love you too" I whisper at her and run out of the house, I look at the seam, it's old and dusty, just like always, I can picture it with my eyes closed, all the houses looking exactly the same in the light of the rising sun, I turn back and run to the fence, I listen to the fence, and when I don't hear the buzzing, I quickly crawl under it.

I grab my bow and arrow and head towards our rock, it's the perfect place to be since when you are there, you are completely isolated, it's like the capitol can't touch us when we are there, we are free.

I try to walk as quietly as I can, to surprise Gale, who sits on our rock and looks deep in thoughts, which is very quiet, but not quite enough for Gale, I step on a tiny little branch and I can almost feel the smirk on his face.

"Catnip" he says without turning around and I can't hold back a laughter, he called me that when we first met since I spoke so quietly, even Gale, with his super-hearing couldn't hear correctly.

"Gale" I smile at him, but then I remember it's Prim's and Posy's first reaping and the smile on my lips die, I try to quickly paste it back on, even though I know he will never buy it, when he moves to the side to give me more space to sit next to him, I knew I was right.

Dammit.

I don't even bother wearing that fake smile anymore, Gale is the one person I can be true too, I'm not going to lie to him about anything.

"What's wrong?" he closed me in his hug and I immediately felt better, like his arms can protect me from the truth, I wrap my arms around his neck, sinking into his protection even further.

"It's their first reaping" i finally sighs into his shirts collar, I choke back the tears and I hope he doesn't notice.

"catnip, you listen to me" he pulls away from me and I am tossed back into the vicious reality, I have no one to protect me, he looks into my eyes, his eyes are beautiful, grey and amazing, he continues speaking "each of them has only one entry, worry about yourself, they will never get picked, the odds are at their favor" he said, very convincingly I might add, without me intending, I'm starting to smile.

"I guess you are right" I roll my eyes and punch him playfully.

"Hey, guess what I shot" he smiles as he reaches his game bag, I frown in confusion, but when he pulls out a bread with an arrow stuck in it, I start laughing, and he joins me.

"What did you pay for it?" I asked the bread looked so delicious and warm.

"Just a squirrel, the old man was feeling generous today, I guess" he smiled as he took the larger half, but I didn't say anything, it got me thinking about that tiny little note.

"Aren't we all" I said bitterly, and suddenly he stopped smiling

"Catnip..." he sighed and I smiled apologetically, although I still couldn't get my mind of it.

"I'm sorry" i said and then my eyes lit with a smile, as I remembered Prim's cheese, his eyebrows narrowed in confusion, like he always does.

"We have a present from Prim" i explained and handed it to him, I almost laughed at his reaction to the cheese, but I could also understand it.

"thank you Prim, now we will be eating like kings and queens" I don't know what kind of old-world accent he was trying to do, but he failed miserably, we laughed real hard at this and then we started eating, doing imitation of the capitol accent, he is suspiciously good at doing Effie's high pitched weird voice, I mean, he is a man, and he sounds like a girl!

That's weird!

When I noticed our time was done we got out through the hall in the fence, and at the square we said goodbye.

"Bye Gale" I said and he waved at me, I started turning around when he said something.

"Catnip" he smiled "wear something nice" I don't know why, it was kind of surprising, but I shrugged it off and left to my home.

When I reached home I saw Prim wearing my first reaping outfit, she looked so sweet and tiny inside it, like a little ceramic fairy, but without the wings.

"Katniss, your dress is on your bed" my mother says from the kitchen, first I go there and give her the animals we hunted, then I go, the dress is so beautiful, it is soft and blue, spaghetti sleeves, tight around the waist and floating around my legs, with matching shoes, I quickly dress up, I'm not comfortable in dresses usually, but this one felt as if it was made especially for me.

"You look beautiful" Prim tells me when I walk into the room, and my mother smiles at me.

"Thank you" I say self-consciously and blush, I wonder if Gale will like this dress.

Why did I just think that?

Why should Gale notice the dress?

That's nonsense, I'm probably just tired because of the nightmare.

We walk to the reaping and I start to worry again, but this time about myself.

I have 22 entries this year, the odds are not at my favor.

And Gale, he has 54 entries, we both are in a bad situation.

When we get to the square Effie starts with her usual nonsense, I don't even bother listening until she gets to the girl tribute.

'please don't let it be me or Prim, please' I pray in my heart.

My prayers were answered.

It's not me.

It's not Prim.

But it's not good too.

"Posy Hawthorne" I heard Effie's voice say and I looked at Gale's little sisters going upstage, I can't move, I can't think, I have to do something, but what can I do?

"No" I hear Gale yelling, shoving everyone out of his way, I try to catch his eyes, but he just grabs her, not letting her move.

"Let me go, Gale" I hear her saying, the choked tears are very obvious, he tells her something and I reach a decision.

"I volunteer" I step up and say in the most confident voice I could manage, trying to hide my sudden urge to cry, my beating heart and my frightened feeling.

I feel like the entire world around me is on a very low volume on TV, and also in slow motion, everyone looks at me as I come upstage, I can distantly hear Prim yelling from behind and Gale murmuring a thank you, while holding both our sister's away, I just nod, I can hear the crowd whispering, but I just feel, disconnected, like it's happening in some other world.

"What's your name?" Effie asked me and I took a deep breathe.

"Katniss Everdeen" I say, as proudly as I can, I look at the crowd and I see the baker's son crying, what his name? Peeta?

"And to our boy tribute" Effie says, she goes to the glass ball and take the note.

"Rory Hawthorne! Two hawthorns a day…" Effie started to talk capitol nonsense but I stopped listening, I felt the blood draining from my face as I saw Rory coming up on stage, the crowd is shocked, I look at Gale, he looks stone faces, I try to catch his look, to promise him I'll bring Rory home, but he is looking at his brother, and his brother is looking on him, and suddenly it hit's me, he is going to volunteer for him, he sprinted forward and said the two words I was both afraid and relieved to hear.

"I volunteer" Effie looked at him with a fake smile, he just glares at her as he pushes a shouting Rory down the stairs, to his crying mother.

"You must be these two's brother" she said and Gale nods, I can see the tear he can't hide, choked down in his throat, I can see behind his mask how afraid he is, and it's unbearable for me, he was always the braver one.

"What's your name?" she asks, surprised by the big amount of volunteers today.

"Gale, Gale Hawthorne" he said in a stone face and a hard voice.

"Gale" I can't manage not to let his name escape my throat, he looks at me and I understand, we both stand proud and brave, I know one of us is not going to return.

**A/N: sorry for writing the same thing on different pov, just saying, it's only this specific part- the reaping, that it was important to me, mostly it will be in gale pov, and nothing that's returning like this two time reaping!**

**It was only important to me for reaping days.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: hey, I'm not dead, sorry for not updating, so much pressure with going to school back in two days *scream* omg! It's only two days!**

**So, if I'm not updating this, it means I'm probably dead… because it's a new super scary school and I'm so very afraid and I think it might kill me…**

**Oh and, I was supposed to thank cloud-lover26 again, 'cause she reviewed first, but then decided that it's not fair, since she got a dedication last time, so…**

**Second reviewer (and just as lovely and nice) is:**

**teamGale143**

**Thank you so much, the next chap, is for you….**

**Disclaimer: I own everything!**

**Myself: no you don't.**

**Me: shut up!**

**Myself: admit it!**

**Me: fine… I don't… too bad though, because if I did Gale would be with Katniss and not Peeta!**

**Myself: *rolls eyes***

**So, with no more silly nonsense on my side, story time!**

Gale pov

I looked around the room, waiting for visitors, it was beautiful, it could feed the whole seam for about a year, everything was in the colors of crimson-red and gold, the chair was golden with red velvet, I sat on once, trying to understand what happened.

Things I know:

I love Katniss.

She is also my best friend, and doesn't feel that way too.

We are going together to the hunger games.

At least one of us will die.

Conclusion: I'm so screwed.

Just when I reach my conclusion, my thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the door opening, I look at it to see Posy, Vick and Rory there, Posy is crying hysterically and Vick has silent tears running down his cheeks, while Rory is trying to hide his tears with a glare.

"Gale, please don't go" Posy runs into my arms and cries at my shoulder, I hush her.

"You are twelve year old Posy, you shouldn't be bawling like a little girl, look at Vick, he is only ten and he is not crying like you…" I tell her, I know the right thing to do is to tell her that, but it just sounds so harsh, she nods and stops crying, almost.

"Gale, why did you volunteer for me?" Rory asks, his voice shaking and hoarse.

"Because, you are my little brother and it's my job protecting you" I tell him, he just shakes his head and him and Vick join the hug, I look at them and I know I will never see them again and it breaks my heart, but I don't cry, I have to show them I'm brave, I have to be strong.

"Gale" I hear my mother and I rise and go hug her, I take her and whisper at her ear.

"I won't come back mom, Katniss will" I whisper quietly, so my brothers won't hear me.

"I know, I know how you feel about her" she says and smiles a painful sad smile.

"How long have you known?" I ask her surprised.

"A couple of month" she says, not expecting the question.

"But…. I found out only today" I look at her grey eyes, they matched mine and my siblings… and Katniss.

"You have to promise me, that if she dies before the game is over, you'll try your best to return to us" she said in a serious tone.

"I…" I try to think of a life without her, but it seems pointless.

"Not for you, for me, for your siblings, for our district… for her, that is what she would want" my mom says and before I can promise, the peacekeepers come, and drag all my family away.

"I promise" I shout at the door, but I don't think she heard me.

The next visitor is prim, and Katniss's mother (A/N: anyone remembers her name?) I look at prim in the eyes.

"I'll make sure she returns" I tell her and she nods with tears in her eyes.

"but if she… doesn't, please come back to us" she said and I was surprised, I nodded and then she started crying on my shoulder, I held her tight until the peacekeepers came to call her, Katniss's mom didn't say a word, before she left prim told me one thing.

"I know it wasn't for me but… thank you for saving Rory" she whispered and I was surprised, but not as surprised as I was when I saw my next guest.

the baker's son, Peeta.

"Hi" he says awkwardly and sits on the chair.

"Hello" I answer.

"I'm sorry" he said and I sighed.

"It's not your fault" I told him grimly

"Please watch her, I know you love her, please don't let her die" he says.

"How come everyone knew I love her before I did?" I asked confused, this whole 'oh, of course we know you love Katniss' thing is kind of annoying, I mean, if you knew that all along couldn't you be bothered to tell me?

"It was obvious…" he said, very obviously expecting an answer to his request.

"I will watch her" I say, and he leaves, after him, each at a time there is a bunch of girls, some names I can remember, most I can't, that I kissed, begging me to come home to them.

I guess I should have clarified that they are not my girlfriends when we kissed.

Oops…

I tried to explain it to the first one, but she slapped me, so I called each of them 'honey' unless I remembered their name and nodded to whatever they say.

Finally when my visitors where over I was ready to go on the train, apparently Katniss has been waiting for me, she finished with her visitors about when my second girl came in.

I had way more than 2 girls visiting me.

Poor Katniss, if I would have known, I would make these visits so much shorter.

We both exited the rooms, escorted by peacekeepers, she looked almost bored, but she was still beautiful, when I looked at her and remembered all the times it almost made me cry, I defiantly wanted to die from inside, and I knew, I would do anything I can to save her, and if I can't, to avenge her death.

I pulled on my playful, arrogant smirk and my confident gaze, even though inside me, I was shaking.

Inside me, it was just like I was in 7th grade, before I learned better than to develop deep feelings for someone.

Inside me, I was like that little boy, sitting in his room, crying over his broken heart.

**A/N: hello! Hope that didn't suck too bad…**

**Yeah, Gale has a past, who would have thought? I wonder what happened in the 7****th grade… jk, I know, but you don't!**

**You might now, if I feel like it…**

**That's right! Start begging!**

**Anyways, to the reason there is an author note here: next chap, what do you think, Katniss interviews, or just continuing so you will never know what happened while Gale listened to the girl's going on and on about nonsense?**

**Your choice!**

**Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: ooops, I just realized I forgot to make Prim visit Gale. So I added this part in the last chapter, you should check it out!**

**But on with this chapter!**

**last time I got a weird request…**

**I was asked to write what these girls said to Gale, which was a weird request, but then I thought: "hey, Zoei, if your readers want to know, let them know" so, do you? I mean, they all said practically the same, but if you want too, I'll write one or two of the girls…**

**Also in this chapter's end, I'm writing a bonus- what happened to Gale when he was in the 7th grade!**

**This chap goes too… *drums* ****Ellenka****- thank you so much, your reviews are lovely!**

**Disclaimer: I don't feel like writing one like these every chap so: I don't own the things that don't belong to me! which one is which, you can guess, take that as a disclaimer for the entire story!**

**And with no more blubber, to the chapter!**

Katniss pov

I walked into the room, it was beautiful, I was very self-consciousness, wearing a dress, having my hair done in a clean braid, the dress was beautiful, but I missed my hunting outfit.

I sat on a couch, looking outside the window, the grim looking seam looked like it was watching me back, as if it was waving me goodbye, waving us goodbye.

Gale.

He is coming with me, before he did it, it was obvious, I was supposed to win, and then Rory came, and it was clear, I was supposed to keep him alive.

But now Gale.

When I just think of losing for him and never seeing my family, it hurts, a lot.

But when I think about winning, and killing Gale for it, it's somehow even worse, if it can be.

This is his entire fault anyways, couldn't he trust me to bring his little brother home?

But, can I blame him?

Would I have trusted him with Prim's life?

I didn't have time to think of answer because Prim runs in here, she hugs me and then takes time to look at the huge room, it's almost the size of my house, the red-velvet sofa reminds me of the blood of all the other tributes sitting here, thinking about how they are about to die, just like me, I stand up from the sofa, preferring to sit on the wood floor.

"Come back to me" Prim says finally, I hesitate with my answer to that, Gale is going to the games with me, and I haven't decided what to do with that.

"I…" I start.

"Well than at least promise me there is district twelve winner this year" she says, tears glistening in her eyes.

"I promise" I say.

"I love you" she hugs me again.

"Where is mom?" I asked.

"Here" my mother says and I realize she has been standing in the corner.

"Mom" I grab her and whisper at her ear, so Prim won't know what I'm saying

"do not fall into depression again, this time I won't be there to help her, please, just live, I'm sure people will help you everyone loves her" I tell her urgently and she nods with tears in her eyes.

"I promise" i know she means it.

"Come back to us Katniss" she adds and then the three of us sit silently, hugging, until the peacekeepers grabbed them and shut the door behind them.

I should have known who my next visitor would be, but I was still shocked when I saw Hazelle standing there.

"hello Katniss" she says, she looks older in about ten years, she was usually so positive about life, but now, that happiness was gone.

"Don't worry, everything will be o.k." I said.

"How can it? My eldest son is going to die, my children are going to starve" she starts crying, and I feel uncomfortable, but i ignore it.

"He might not die" I said.

"Of course he will, so you can come back, you do know how he feels…" she said, the sudden verge of tears gone.

"What are you talking about?" I asked confused, she stared at the golden curtains.

"Oh, Katniss you are so blind…" she smiled at me sadly, and I was about to ask about it when Posy came in and hugged me tight, weeping.

"Why are you crying Posy?" I asked.

"Be…because yo…you had to go because of m…m…me, and now you hate" she managed saying.

"I don't hate you, I never will, I would do the same thing without thinking twice" I said quickly.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes" I say and she smiles sadly when Rory and Vick come in, Vick is silent, Rory walks strait to me.

"I'll take care of her" he says, his fierce eyes so much like Gale's, but I could see the sadness about his brother in them.

"Who?" I ask.

"Prim, I… I don't know if you will come back, but I want to have your approval, even if you are not with us, if she agrees, she would want that too" he explained quickly, but I still didn't understand.

"My approval for what?" I asked, he gave me a funny look but then remembered I was about to be sent to the arena, so his eyes softened.

"I love her" was all he said and finally, it all matched, all those time I saw him looking at me, walking to school, he was looking at her, all those time he volunteered to help her, everything just clicked.

"I give you my blessing, but, don't forget she is younger than you" I said and warned in the same breath and he nodded, smiling a weak smile at me.

"Thank you" he said and they left.

The next visitor was someone I didn't expect, the baker's son, what's his name?

"Hey Katniss" he says, I see the wetness of tears still on his cheeks.

"Hey" I say back.

"I don't think you know me very well, I'm Peeta Mellark" he said, that's his name! I have nothing to say, so I just stay quiet.

"Why are you on the floor, not the couch?" he asks.

"It reminds me of blood, the blood of the ones before me, sitting here, waiting for their death" I say in a grim voice.

"Oh… my father sent me to tell you he is going to take care of your families, he won't let them starve" I looked at him for a second, processing what he said, the jumped and hugged him, he didn't expect that, neither did I, actually.

"I... I wanted to tell you something" he said after a short pause, pulling back, just a little.

"Go ahead" I said, not really caring.

"I… I love you" he blurted out and it was like everything was slow motion, I saw him closing on me, I felt his lips on my lips for one sweet-but-bitter second, where I felt his desperate need for me to come back, and I see him back away and leave the room, but I couldn't move, and the only thing I'd think about was Gale.

When he left Madge came in, she talked, but I couldn't hear her, my heart was beating to loud, my brain was working so hard, she gave me a golden pin, of a mockingjay, but then the peacekeepers came in before she had time to explain, she yelled at me as they took her away "as your district token" and then she was gone.

She said exactly 4 words.

I looked at it, it was made of pure gold and could feed my family and Gale's family for months, so I decided it would, i was sorry for not doing what she asked and taking this as my district token, but it really could help mine and Gales families survive, and now that none of us was there, they will need help.

"so Katniss, you're out of guests, but Gale is having a surprisingly long line of girls waiting to talk to him, each one sobbing harder" Darius said as he walked in, looking at me with sad eyes, yes, he was a peacekeeper, but he was a really nice one, he always hang with Gale and I at the hob.

When he said this thing about a line of girls waiting to talk to Gale I got furious, I felt a ball of anger and sorrow coming up my chest, stopping me from breathing, and I didn't know why.

"Can you please… give this to my mom, or Hazelle, tell them it should keep them alive for a while?" I asked, still trying to get over the feeling his last words gave me, he looks at it surprised, but then he nods and put it in his pocket, I know I can trust him with that.

When Gale's sluts stopped coming we finally went to…

No, I don't know why I thought that, let me fix that…

When Gale's whores… no…

When Gale's stupid fan girls… no…

When Gale's... umm… friends stopped coming we finally went to the train, I looked at Gale in the cameras, he looked arrogant, but I could see his soul broken in his eyes.

It looked like flying pieces of shuttered glass (or soul in this case) flying through a storm.

**A/N: like? Hate? Review and I'll know!**

**I'm so terribly sorry about the late update, I was ****reeeaaaallly**** busy with school, I barely had time to read F "F so write them?**

**So, if you review I'll try to update sooner, but I'm not promising =(**

**Anyways, to Gale in 7th grade *applause***

_When she walked down the hall, he always followed her with his gaze, in classes he always made sure she is sitting right in front of him, so he could look at her curly yellowish hair._

_Her name was Delly Cartwright and she was perfect._

_His name was Gale Hawthorne and he loved her._

_So he came to her, one day, after months of watching, this one day, he gathered up the nerves, and he came to her._

_"hey Delly" he said._

_"hey Gale" she looked at him._

_"would you like to… to go out, sometimes?" he mumbled and she laughed and wrapped her arms around him, in a hug, agreeing, after all, every girl in school loved Gale Hawthorne._

_He was a prize._

_But nothing more to Delly Cartwright._

_And so happened that a week after that, Gale Hawthorne went to escort his girlfriend from the one class they weren't together in, and he saw it._

_He wasn't as beautiful or handsome as Gale, but he was older, he was more experienced…_

_This was the first time Gale Hawthorne felt how it is to be cheated on._

_He swore to never love again._

_And he intended to do that, to be just Gale Hawthorne, the player, to never have a serious relationship, or at least not until he was 25._

_But then, he met Katniss Everdeen._

**A/N: so what did you guys think?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm so sorry I am a terrible person!**

**It's just… school… and I'm in a youth movement (I don't know how you call it in your country, but I guess it's kind of like the scouts... I think…)**

**So: I'm really really sorry!**

**This goes to Ellekna, that is the only one who reviewed last night, but I guess its o.k.**

**Just review this time!**

**On to the story:**

Gale pov

We walked up the train, and when we reached there, we didn't talk, I sat down but Katniss just stood up and looked at me, I could see the emotions were fighting in her, but I didn't know over what.

Finally the train started moving, the speed of it took my breath away and I noticed Katniss almost falling, so I quickly got up and caught her, I helped her stand up, an just when she was about talking, this stupid woman… I mean... Effie…

Oh, who am I kidding?

This stupid woman came in and immediately started talking.

"Hello! I'm, as you know, Effie trinket, let me take you to your rooms, this trip shouldn't be more than a day!" she exclaimed and I almost threw up just from the over-sweetness at her voice.

We followed her silently, Katniss grabbing my arm, finally we stopped.

"So! This is your room! What was your name again? Gabe?" she looked at me and while fighting the sudden urge to choke her I calmly said "Gale".

Katniss was about to follow me, but Effie grabbed her.

"Oh! Silly little Katherine! You two are defiantly not sharing a room!"

"It's Katniss, and why not?" she asked, she sounded calm, but I noticed her eyes narrowing and I started to feel sorry for Effie.

"Because, we can't have two tributes sleeping in the same room! They might try to murder each other!" she said.

"We won't, we are best friends" I assured her.

"And still this is unacceptable, now you" she pointed at me "take a shower and change your clothes, you smell like coal dust…" she started saying.

"Maybe because I'm from district twelve! You know- the coal district!" I almost yelled at her.

"I know why it is, you don't have to be so angry" she said, and shooed me with her hand, I decided to ignore it and entered my room quietly.

God, I hate this woman.

I closed the door behind me just to find… wow.

First of all there was the huge bed that looked so comfortable I just wanted to die, not literally.

It had two light blue pillows and a huge green blanket, the walls were gray, but a soft kind, not the dead-grey we always see in district twelve, there was a table at the side, and above it a place you could order food, but my wow wasn't about all of those.

It was about the shower that I could catch a glimpse from because the door to it was slightly open.

It was all white and gold- white walls, golden taps, I eagerly entered the shower, took me time to understand how to make it function.

I ended up smelling like 500 different flowers.

Or as I would call it: a dead perfumed mouse.

I decided I will wash it off with some more water, but when I turned it on this time, the water weren't cold like before.

They were hot.

We never had hot water in twelve.

I stayed there for about half an hour, until my hands started to get wrinkly, then I went out, intending to wear my clothes.

They were gone.

Instead of them there was a black t-shirt and weird blue pants (that I later found out are called jeans) with a shrug i put them on.

I was about to lay on my head and think when I noticed my stomach growling and realized that, for the first time in my life, I could do something about it, but just when I was about to send the order, Effie came in and called me for dinner.

She didn't have to call me twice.

I almost ran to the dinner table where I found Katniss already sitting, her clothes matching mine, and also Haymitch.

I hate Haymitch.

This stupid drunk never did anything to help any tribute, he never helped them survive, he abandoned them.

I won't let that happen to us.

I won't let that happen to Katniss.

"Hey! You! Drunk-face" I said in the moment I walked in, looking at him, knowing what he did to her was more than I could bare, just looking at him made me angry, I noticed my fists are clenched.

"What did you call me?" Haymitch slowly stood up, everyone else watching me with surprise.

"You heard me" I said.

"Someone's angry. Good. That will help you survive." Haymitch said.

"It doesn't matter- you have no intention of helping me, like you help no one" I said.

"You are right, I don't" he said calmly and sat back in the chair, taking his wine again.

I spilled his wine on the white carpet, staining it.

"What was that for?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

"You! You are going to sober up and help us! Katniss can win this thing! But she needs your help" I almost yelled.

"What are you worth?" he looked at Katniss, she silently took a knife and threw it on the wall, hitting exactly in one of the pictures head, it was president snows head.

Oops.

She looked as shocked at the hit as I felt, but we both pulled it together.

"And she is even better with a bow" I exclaimed simply, Katniss looked at me, talking for the first time since the beginning of the meal.

"Gale is really good with a bow too, he also makes great snares" she said, talking to Haymitch but looking at me, with so much intensity it burned.

"Katniss can recognize plants, she knows what's eatable and what's for medicine and stuff" I said, trying to make her look better than me, so he protects her.

"Gale is really quiet! Until you hear him approach it's too late!" she defended me with heat, I didn't understand why, I was helping her.

"Katniss can climb trees! The girl's like a hyperactive squirrel, two seconds and she is up there laughing at you for being slow!" I said.

"I get it! You are both good!" Haymitch finally said, suddenly I remembered he was there, we both turned to him, I put my hand on Katniss's shoulder, but she tensed under my touch, and shrugged it off.

I will have to talk to her later.

"You will sober up?" I asked with surprise, I didn't expect him to agree so quickly, we didn't even get to fight.

"If you promise to stop having this silly fight about whose better, yes, just to make you shut up" he said, but I wasn't convinced.

"You won't abandon us, like you abandoned her?" I grabbed him by the shirt.

"Who's her?" he asked.

"You know exactly who I mean" I said with poison dripping from my words.

"You mean…" he trailed and I nodded.

"I won't" he said, and to my surprise, I believed him, I let him go and nodded.

"Good" I said, realizing I was still hungry, after we ate Haymitch stood up.

"Let's get to business" he said and punched me.

**A/N: oooooooh… who's her?**

**Seriously! Who is she?**

**'cause I don't know!**

**Just kidding I do know, but I bet your ideas are better, so if you have one, write it and I might use it!**

**Yep, some more history on Gale's side.**

**So… don't forget to review!**

**Or else I'll update once in a million years.**

**Like now.**

**(Sorry about that- you didn't review! I forgot about this story until I was reminded today)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: this time it wasn't so long- was it?**

**Well, I already wrote the ending… if that helps, but the ending is nowhere near! I think I'll speed things up a bit, since… well… we are in chapter 6 and I didn't even got them in the HG!**

**What do you think?**

**Anyways today the chapter goes to… *drums***

**teamGale143**

**And on with the story:**

I've been avoiding Katniss all night, when she came, knocking on my door, I pretended I'm asleep, she didn't buy it, but she decided to let it go, and question me later about… about her…

She is the only thing Katniss didn't know about me.

"we have now arrived at the capitol" I heard a voice saying, I jumped out of bed and went to the living room, I looked at the windows, avoiding Katniss's glare, I looked at the people excitedly pointing at us, I smiled, waved a bit and then walked away, pretending to call Katniss excitedly while actually telling her.

"Katniss, come on and wave to the people, they might be rich" she groaned at a response to that, and when I say groaned I mean growled, but then pulled her best smile and stood next to me, I smiled and waved, she blew kisses, after a while we went, I quickly erased the smile and my face turned into the expression of the disgust I feel, Katniss mirrored me.

"Gale… who's her?" and I looked at her, she looked so vulnerable, I prayed to god to help me find a way to get out of this…

"No one important" I mumbled.

"Gale" she said in a warning tone.

"Just leave it!" I exploded, turning away, so she wont see the tears starting to form in my eyes.

"Gale…" she quietly said in a soft tone, but I refused to look at her, blinking the tears away.

"So, who is ready to meet the stylists?" Effie came in and said with a smile and I never loved this stupid woman more than now.

I left the room and followed her, I was aware that Katniss is right behind me, and I knew that she worried about me, but I couldn't bring myself to talk to her, because I knew in the moment I start talking, the tears will start spilling, and, if it's up to me, Katniss will never see me cry, I am her solid rock, if I crumble, she will have nothing.

_15 minutes later_

"Leave my eyebrows alone you stupid elf!" I yelled at the blue-skinned woman who is tormenting my eyebrows in the last 10 minutes.

"This is very rude" she sniffed, but I couldn't care less.

"So is plucking someone's face off!" I said, and another one of my stylists came and glared at me.

"Sit down, we are almost done" I groaned and sat again, the blue elf sniffing above my head while continuing to hurt me more than I ever thought is possible (yeah Gale? Try waxing!).

Finally they finished and left me alone, I thought I was finished, but of course, my stylist came in.

She explained me what I'm going to wear, but when she said the final line I spat the water I was just drinking.

"You are going to set me on what now?" I choked out.

"Fire" she sipped from her tea like it was completely normal.

"You are crazy." I stated and she looked amused.

_An hour and a half later_

"They are setting you on fire too?" Katniss asked as she saw our outfits matched.

"I'll pull your cloak off and you pull mine" I stated and she nodded.

_5 minutes later_

"Katniss" I murmured under my smile, while waving.

"Hmmm?" she waved too, I felt her hand so cold, she must be freezing.

"Is it just me or is the fire actually not burning us?" I catch a rose someone threw at me and fight the urge to throw it into the fire, instead I throw a wink to the general direction where she was and place the flower near us, on the chariot.

"I look at the screens, I can see we catch most of the attention, I mentally note myself that I should thank Portia later.

When we are done, I'm about to take my early leave when Katniss grabs my arm.

"Gale" her voice is gentle but she grabs my arm tightly.

"What?" I ask her, trying to appear as if I don't know what she wants to talk about.

"Come to my room" she says and surprises me, I nod and follow her, her room is similar to me.

"Hungry?" she asks as I nod, she orders food and we wait quietly, we eat it with no more words than "pass me the tasty sauce…" when we finish eating she looks me in the eyes and asks the question that I didn't expect the most.

"Do you trust me?" she asks, I can see a glimpse of a tear in her eye, but she quickly blinks it away and I ignore it.

"Of course I do" I say without thinking.

"Don't lie." She says with a stern voice.

"I'm not" I say with determination.

"Then why don't you trust me enough to tell me who is this girl you care so much about?" Katniss asks and I stay without answer.

"I mean, I'm not asking you to tell me who is she, but tell me why won't you tell me?" she raised her hands to hair face and laughed bitterly "I promised myself I wouldn't cry…" she started wiping her tears but I stopped her.

"she is… she was the female tribute five years ago, she was thirteen, I was twelve, she wasn't from the seam, but she was very kind, she always brought my family some food, since I was not old enough to hunt and my father just died in the mine explosion- the tessere was just not enough to keep as alive, so she did.

One day, Posy got sick, we were afraid she was going to die, this girl came and took her, I followed her and saw her taking care of her in her house, every day for a week I spied after her, but then she found me one day, a day before the reaping, and asked me if I want to come in.

I fell asleep on her couch, and she woke me up next day, with a kind smile and a loaf of deliciously looking bread.

This was when I decided she was an angel, which came to save us, to help us from starving.

When I told her that, she laughed, and that only convinced me more since her laugh was the prettiest sound I've ever heard.

When she was reaped I went to Haymitch and told him that he have to make sure she gets back, all he did was laugh at me.

She died in the bloodbath" I finished my story and I noticed I'm crying.

"Gale" Katniss said quietly and reached for my face, but I shook my head and wiped my tears.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cry like that, I didn't mean you to see me like that" I said and put on my stern face.

"Katniss, have you seen Gale, he is not in his room and I can't find him anyw… oh, you are here" Effie bursts into the room and looks at me.

"What?" I ask, pulling on my best angry face, which wasn't so hard.

"Haymitch wants to talk to you" Katniss stands up.

"Alone" Effie adds and glares at Katniss.

**A/N: so what did you think?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: sorry!**

**I said I will update soon but… I was lazy…**

**And I started writing a new F"F- but it's for the glee fandom (go klaine!)**

**So I'm sorry.**

"What do you want?" I say rather rudely as Effie leads me to Haymitch.

"I need to talk to you about your interview" he says.

"Talk" I declare- I still hate Haymitch.

"I need you to admit your love for Katniss" he says and I choke on the water I was just drinking.

"What?" I manage to cough out and he smiles.

"I said I need you to admit…" he starts but I cut him.

"I know what you said- but… how did you… how can you…" I stutter and he looks amused, I decide there's no point denying "why?" I finally ask.

"In case you didn't notice, your little girlfriend is pretty, but not cheerful and nice- she has no chance unless you make her one" he answers.

"But…" I start protesting but the moment he said she has no chance, I knew I have already given up.

"Oh shit" was the first thing I said when I woke up in the morning, maybe the training, because today is the big day where we get to show the game makers our talent.

I take a shower and dress up, only to see Katniss already sitting in breakfast, eating, she looked at me and smiled and I knew she was thinking about the same thing as I did.

"Don't worry, we will be fine" I assured her.

"I know" she smiles at me and my heart gets all fuzzy and warm when she smiles.

'Stop being a teenage girl and focus, you've got a game to win… or make her win if I want to be specific' I thought to myself.

"Hey catnip" I said after a thought.

"Hmm?" she asked me.

"c'mon, we have got some 12's too score" she smiles at me and we go to the place where we are supposed to wait to the game makers.

Very quickly we are left alone with only the girl from district 11, she looks at us as we discuss strategy, and I can't help but feel like she is spying on us, finally she is leaving, and before I know it- it's my turn, suddenly I feel Katniss grabs my arm.

"I will be fine, don't worry little catnip" I try to joke about it, but she is not laughing, she pulls me to a tight embrace that is probably supposed to be a hug.

"Try not to upset them, I want you to come back home" she whispered in my ear and I am shocked, I am about to start arguing about that but the guard calls me so I just nod and walk in.

I stand in an unfriendly room, the people sitting there are barely watching me, so I decide to pull a little trick I learned in twelve, just to get their attention, I grab a torch and light it, I drink some of the gasoline that is for lighting it, then I put the torch in my mouth and spit fire all around me.

That got them to look.

Next I'm grabbing a bow and shooting the wall, I calculate the angles while I'm shooting, thankfully I've always been good in math, this bow is not really what I'm used to, it's harder, but I manage to shoot it pretty well, in the end, the fallen arrows create a very clear writing.

It says district twelve.

I look proud at my work as they clap slowly, they tell me I'm free to go and I live.

Yep. I'm awesome.

Now all I have to do is waiting for Katniss to come back.

**A/N: yep. Gale is awesome.**

**And sort of superman 'cause- no one could pull that off…**

**That's it for today! Sorry for being lazy!**


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